Police seek owner of pricey jewelry left in mailbox

The package, which fit in a regular mailbox slot and was found by a mail carrier retrieving mail from the box, contained what Macomb County Sheriff's authorities thought was costume jewelry.

A package containing what has since been appraised as "very valuable" jewelry was found inside a U.S. Postal Service mailbox in Macomb Township in November, authorities said.(Photo: U.S. Postal Service)

The Macomb County Sheriff's Office has a jewel of a mystery on its hands.

A package containing what has since been appraised as "very valuable" jewelry was found inside a U.S. Postal Service mailbox in Macomb Township in November, authorities said.

The package, which fit in a regular mailbox slot and was found by a mail carrier retrieving mail from the box, contained what authorities originally thought was costume jewelry. The package was turned over to police because of the unusual labeling on it.

Police never received a complaint about the missing jewelry and no one came forward to claim it, so it was put in the property room, Lt. John Michalke said.

During a regular cleaning out of the property room, authorities came across the package. They got the jewelry appraised and found out it was "more valuable than first thought," he said.

Now, they are looking to identify the rightful owner.

Authorities are keeping specifics about the type of jewelry and its value close to the vest to ensure they get the right owner if someone comes forward. They're looking for anyone who misplaced jewelry or has had jewelry stolen in November to contact them at 586-307-9319.

A detailed description of the missing jewelry will be required in order to establish the rightful owner, authorities said.

Michalke said the package was addressed, but declined to reveal details about how it was addressed as part of the investigation.